Ruling Saenuri Party spokeswoman Min Hyun-joo said on Friday that it is simply preposterous that the Japanese government, which has no rights at all to the territory, would conduct such a meaningless poll.

She said that the party could not repress its indignation at the Japanese government for trying to justify Japan’s outrageous claims over Dokdo with a survey lacking legitimacy.

Saenuri Secretary General Hong Moon-jong warned that if Tokyo continues such provocations, the future of bilateral relations cannot be guaranteed.
He added that the Japanese people’s general perception of the islets is a more serious problem, adding the Japanese government’s blatant distortions of its history and aggressive efforts to promote claims over Dokdo are encouraging such views.

Main opposition Democratic Party spokesman Park Yong-jin also told a news briefing that Tokyo is now using an opinion poll as a new method to lay claims over Dokdo. However, Park argued that polls cannot change the fact that South Korea has sovereignty over the islets.

Park added that the poll results show the Japanese government’s provocations have created serious consequences.